: Alexander Stilwell
: Mental and Physical Endurance How to reach your physical and mental peak
: Amber Books Ltd
: 9781909160323
: 1
: CHF 5.60
:
: Sport
: English
: 192
: DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
Most of us know that we are not exercising our minds and bodies as much as we should. The Elite Forces Manual of Mental and Physical Endurance uses techniques developed by special forces units to train their recruits to show how we can improve our mental and physical fitness. The book is a detailed examination of what it takes to become as fit as a special forces soldier, taking a holistic view of the body and mind. It is equally important to focus on diet, rest patterns and mental discipline as it is to concentrate on physical exercises. Using simple steps, the book shows the reader how they can build up their endurance over a matter of weeks and months, and how their quality of life will benefit. Like elite soldiers, top athletes need the spur of competition to achieve their greatest successes, and The Elite Forces Manual of Mental and Physical Endurance demonstrates how you can gain the psychological edge over your opponent. Whether you are competing in unarmed combat sports, running a marathon or just looking to get ahead, the book has helpful and practical advice for you. Using photographs and artworks, The Elite Forces Manual of Mental and Physical Endurance shows how special forces units such as the SAS and Delta Force stretch themselves mentally and physically, giving the reader the opportunity to train as they do in easy-to-follow steps to reach their peak of mental and physical strength.

The popularity of extreme sports –sport extrem in French – demonstrates the fundamental human need to face challenges and overcome them, even if it is necessary for some people to build those challenges themselves.

Introduction

‘You are what you think’ is a well-known phrase but, like many familiar phrases, it deserves closerscrutiny. While the mind controls the physical bodyin a direct way through the will, the mind itself is divided into the conscious and the subconscious.

The subconscious stores influences that may have been picked up since childhood, and these influences can affect an individual’s conscious assessment of their ability to overcome obstacles. Somebody who has had a history of being ‘put down’ whenever they open their mouth, for example, may have developed an irrational fear of speaking in public. To quote Henry Ford: ‘Think you can, think you can’t, either way you’ll be right.’

Facing Fears

In his bookCall it Courage, Armstrong Sperry tells the story of a Polynesian boy called Mafatu, who was afraid of the sea. Mafatu means ‘Stout Heart’ in Polynesian and his name, added to the fact that his island was surrounded by the element he most feared, presented Mafatu with a significant problem. Either he had to accept the name of ‘Coward’, which he was increasingly called behind his back, and never engage with the source of his fear, or he had to do something about it. Luckily for him, he chose to confront his fear and set out to sea in a small canoe with a couple of pets. By facing his fear and overcoming the challenge, Mafatu was able to return to his island having lived up to his name.

It should be noted that the boy was not named ‘Coward’ or ‘Weakling’ at birth. He was given a name that implies high expectations and a certain inherent dignity. The name, however, is also owed to the achievements of his predecessors. Mafatu comes from a long line of ‘stout hearts’. It is not, however, enough to ‘inherit’ courage; he has to prove it to others, and also to himself. In other words, being born of a line of brave people does not exonerate him from having to face fear himself. Courageous people, therefore, are not people who have an absence of fear, but they are people who have learned to overcome fear. The experience of overcoming fear in certain circumstances gives them confidence when faced with a similar set of circumstances, although they may still experience the sensation of fear.

Fear of the unknown is natural, but many people populate this unknown with imaginary scenes that are unlikely ever to take place, thus increasing their irrational fear. Note Guardini’s words again: ‘living means advancing into this unknown region’. In other words, if, like Mafatu, you listen to your fears and do not advance into the unknown region, you are not really living, and you are not living up to either the expectations of others or the expectations conferred upon you by your own dignity as a human being.

The Polynesian boy Mafatu faces the waves. Courage is in proportion to the fear that some challenge arouses in a particular person. Many fears are understandable; others are somewhat irrational. By overcoming the fear, however, courage and confidence are born.

Physical and Mental Endurance

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